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The 21st Chapter
And then came the principal
heads of the Levites unto Eleazer the priest, and unto Josua the son
of Nun and unto the ancient heads of the tribes of the children of
Israel, and spake unto them at Siloh in the land of Canaan saying:
the Lord commanded by Moses, to give us cities to dwell in and the
fields about them, for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave
unto the Levites out of their inheritances, at the bidding of the
Lord, these cities following with their *Suburbs.
And the lot came out unto the kindreds of the Cahathites: and
the children of Aaron the priest which were of the Levites had given
them by lot, out of the tribe of Juda, out of the tribe of Simeon,
out of the tribe of Beniamin, thirteen cities. And the rest of the
children of Cahath had by lot, out of the kindreds of the tribe of
Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of
Manasses ten cities. And the children of Gerson had by lot out of
the kindreds of the tribe of Isacar out of the tribe of Aser, out of
the tribe of Nephthali and out of the other half tribe of Manasses
in Basan, thirteen cities. And the children of Merari by their
kindreds, had out of the tribe of Ruben, out of the tribe of Gad,
and out of the tribe of Zabulon, twelve cities. And the children of
Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their *Suburbs
as the Lord commanded by Moses.
And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Juda, and
out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities by name:
which the children of Aaron being of the kindreds of the Cahathites,
and of the children of Levi, obtained: for theirs was the first lot.
And they gave them Kariath Arba of the father of Enack, which is
Hebron, in the hill country of Juda, with the *Suburbs of the same
round about it. But the country that pertained to the city and the
villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephune, to be his
possession.
And thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the
franchised cities of the slayer, Hebron with her Suburbs: and Libna
with her Suburbs, and Jathir with her Suburbs, and Estimoa with her
Suburbs, and Holon with her Suburbs, and Dabir with her Suburbs, and
Ain with her Suburbs, and Jutah with her Suburbs, and Bethsames with
her Suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes. And out of the
tribe of Benjamin they gave Gabaon with her Suburbs: Gaba with her
Suburbs: Anatoth with her Suburbs: Almon with her suburbs: four
cities. All these cities of the children of Aaron priests were
thirteen cities with their Suburbs. And the kindreds of the children
of Cahath that were Levities: that is to say the other children of
Cahath had the cities of their lot, out of the tribe of Ephraim. And
they gave them the free city of the slayer: Sichem with her Suburbs,
in mount Ephraim: and Gazer with her Suburbs: and Kabzaim with her
Suburbs: Bethhoron with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the
tribe of Dan: Eltheke with her Suburbs: Gibthon with Suburbs: Ailaon
with her Suburbs, and Gathremon with her Suburbs: four cities. And
out of the half tribe of Manasses, Thanach with her Suburbs:
Gathremon with her Suburbs: two cities. So that all the cities which
were given unto the kindreds of the other children of Cahath, were
ten with their Suburbs.
And unto the children of Gerson which were of the kindreds of
the Levites, they gave out of the other half tribe of Manasses, the
city of refuge for the slayer, Golan in Basan with her Suburbs:
Beestherah with her Suburbs: two cities. And out of the tribe of
Isacar, Kision with her Suburbs: Daberath with Suburbs: Jarimoth
with her Suburbs: Enganim with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of
the tribe of Aser, Miseal with her Suburbs: Abdon with her Suburbs,
Halakath with her Suburbs: Rohob with her Suburbs: four cities. And
out of the tribe of Nephthali, the city of refuge for the slayer,
Kedes in Galile, with her Suburbs: Halmothdor, with her Suburbs:
Carthan with her Suburbs: three cities. So that all the cities of
the Gersonites in their kindreds were thirteen with their Suburbs.
And unto the kindreds of the children of Merari, the rest of
the Levites, gave out of the tribe of Zabulon: Jeenam with her
Suburbs: Carthah with her Suburbs, Damna with her Suburbs, and
Nahalal with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of
Ruben, they gave Bozor with her Suburbs: Jahesah with her Suburbs,
Kedmoth with her Suburbs, and Naphaath with her suburbs: four
cities. And out of the tribe of Gad, they gave the franchised city
of the slayer, Romoth in Galaad with her suburbs, Mahanaim with her
suburbs, Hesbon with her suburbs: and Jaser with her suburbs: four
cities in all, so that all the cities of the children of Merari in
their kindreds, which were the of the kindreds of the Levites, were
by their lot, twelve cities. And all the cities that the Levites had
in the possession of the children of Israel were forty eight with
their Suburbs. And these cities had each their Suburbs round about
her throughout all the said cities. And the Lord gave unto Israel
all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers. And they
conquered it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave the rest round
about according to all that he sware unto their fathers. So that
there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. But the Lord
delivered all their enemies into their hands. There escaped nothing
of all the good things which the Lord had said unto the house of
Israel. But all came to pass.
*cap S as recorded
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The 22nd Chapter
Then Josua called unto the
Rubenites, the Gaddites and to the half tribe of Manasses and said
unto them: ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord hath
commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
ye have not left your brethren of a long season unto this day but
have kept the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord
hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them. Wherefore
return and go unto your tents and unto the land of your possession,
which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side
Jordan. But in any wise take exceeding good heed that ye do the
commandment and law which Moses the servant of the lord charged you:
which is, that ye love the Lord your God, and walk in his ways and
keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all
your hearts and all your souls. And so Josua blessed them and sent
them away. And they went unto their tents.
Unto the one half of the tribe of Manasses Moses gave
possession in Basan: and unto the other half thereof gave Josua with
their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And also when Josua
sent them away unto their tents and blessed them, he said unto them,
return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle,
with silver, gold, brass, iron, and with raiment above measure, and
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
And the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and half the
tribe of Manasses, returned and departed from the children of Israel
out of Siloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country
of Galaad, and to the land of their possession, wherein they were
possessed at the mouth of the Lord by the hand of Moses. And when
they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan:
there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe
of Manasses, built an altar fast by Jordan and that a great altar to
see too. And when the children of Israel heard say: behold the
children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasses have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan
in the borders of Jordan on the side of the children of Israel: the
whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together
to Siloh, to go upon them with battle. And the children of Israel
sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the
half tribe of Manasses into the land of Galaad, Phinehes the son of
Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a
lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their
fathers households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went
unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasses,
unto the land of Galaad and spake with them saying:
Thus say the whole congregation of the Lord: what
transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of
Israel, to turn away this day from after the Lord and to build you
an altar for to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the wicked deed
of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this
day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord: But
that ye also should turn away this day from following the Lord: ye
shall rebel today against the Lord, and tomorrow he shall be wroth
with all the congregation. Notwithstanding if the land of your
possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the
possession of the Lord, where the Lords tabernacle dwelleth, and be
possessed among us. But rebel not against the Lord nor against us,
to build you any other altar save the altar of the Lord our God. Did
not Acan the son of Zareh trespass in the excommunicate things, and
wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone
perished not for his wickedness?
Then the children of Ruben and of Gad, and half the tribe of
Manasses answered and said unto the heads over the thousands of
Israel: The mighty God Jehovah he knoweth, and Israel shall know if
it be to rebel or transgress against the Lord, then the Lord save us
not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from
following the Lord, or to offer theron burntofferings or
meatofferings, or to offer peaceofferings theron: let the Lord
require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in
time to come your children should say unto ours: what have ye to do
with the Lord God of Israel, saying: that the Lord hath made Jordan
a border between us and you ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have
no part therefore in the Lord: and so shall your children make our
children cease from fearing the Lord.
And therefore we said: Let us cause an altar to be made, not
for burntofferings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness
between us and you and our generations after us, that we should
serve the Lord, with our offerings, sacrifices and peaceofferings:
and that your children should not say to ours in time to come, ye
have no part in the Lord.
And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our
generations in time to come, that we would say again: Behold the
fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for
burntofferings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness
between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord
and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar
for burntofferings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the Lord, our
God that is before his tabernacle.
And when Phinehes the Priest and the Lords of the congregation
and heads over the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard
the words that the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the
children of Manasses spake, they were well content. And Phinehes the
son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad
and of Manasses, this day we perceive that the Lord is among us,
because ye have not done this trespass against the Lord. And now ye
have rid children of Israel out of the hands of the Lord.
And Phinehes the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords
returned from the children of Ruben and of Gad out of the land of
Galaad unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and
brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of
Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against
them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and
Gad dwelt in. And the children of Ruben and the children of Gad
called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the
Lord is God.
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The 23rd Chapter
And it came to pass a long season
after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their
enemies round about, that Josua waxed old and was stricken in years.
Wherefore he sent for all Israel and for their elders, their heads,
their Judges and officers, and said unto them: I am old and stricken
in years. And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto
all these nations before your faces: for the Lord your God he fought
for you. Behold, I have appointed these nations that remain, to be
the inheritance of your tribes: even from Jordan, and all the
nations that I have destroyed, even unto the great *Sea. And the
Lord your God shall expel and cast them out before you, and ye shall
conquer their lands, as the lord your God hath said unto you.
Be therefore exceeding strong that ye take heed to do all that
is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye bow not aside
therefrom, to the right hand or to the left: and that ye go not unto
these nations that remain with you: and that ye neither make mention
or swear by the names of their Gods: and that ye neither serve them
nor bow yourselves unto them. But that ye stick fast unto the Lord
your God, as ye have done unto this day. So shall the Lord cast out
before you great nations and mighty, as ye see how no man hath stand
before you hitherto. One of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord
your God he fighteth for you, as he hath said unto you. Take good
heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love the Lord your God.
But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these
nations that remain with you and shall make Marriages with them, and
shall go to them and they come to you: be sure that the Lord your
God will riot cast out all these nations before you. But they shall
be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and
pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which
the Lord your God hath given you.
Behold I walk this day, by the way of all the world: call ye
to mind in all your hearts and in all your souls, that nothing hath
failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you.
All are come to pass, and nothing hath failed thereof. And as all
good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you:
so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil until he have destroyed
you from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you
when ye have transgressed the appointment of the Lord your God,
which he commanded you: and have gone and served strange Gods, and
bowed yourselves to them. Then shall the wrath of the Lord wax hot
upon you, and ye shall perish quickly, from off the good land which
he hath given you.
*See: capital S as in original.
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The 24th Chapter
And Josua gathered all the
tribes of Israel to Sichem, and called for elders of Israel, and for
their heads, Judges and officers which presented themselves before
God. And Josua said unto all the people, thus saith the Lord God of
Israel. Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old
time even Thareh the father of Abraham and Nachor, and served
strange Gods. But I took your father Abraham from the other side of
the flood, and brought him into the land of Canaan, and multiplied
his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau.
And I gave unto Esau mount Seir to possess it. But Jacob and his
children went down into Egypt.
Then I sent Moses and Aaron. And I plagued Egypt, after the
manner as I did among them, and after that I brought you out and I
brought your fathers out of Egypt. And ye came unto the sea: and the
Egyptians followed after your fathers with chariots and horsemen,
unto the red sea. And they cried unto the Lord. And he put darkness
between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and
covered them. And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt. And
ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. And I brought you into the
land of the Amorites which dwelt on the other side Jordan. And they
fought with you: and I gave them into your hands. And ye conquered
their country. And I destroyed them in your sight.
Then Balak the son of Ziphor, King of Moab arose and warred
against Israel, and sent and called Balam the son of Beor for to
curse you. But I would not agree to hearken unto Balam, and
therefore he blessed you: And so I delivered you out of his hand.
And when ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho, the citizens of
Jericho fought against you: the Amorites, Pheresites, Cananites,
Hethites, Girgosites, Hevites, Jebusites which I delivered into your
hands.
And I sent hornets before you and ye cast out before you: even
the two Kings of the Amorites: but not with your own sword or with
your own bow. And I gave you a land in which ye did not labor, and
cities which you built not, and ye dwelt in them. And vines, and
Olive trees which ye planted not, and ye ate of them.
And now fear the Lord and serve him in pureness and truth: And
put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the
flood, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if it seem evil unto
you to serve the Lord, then choose you this day, whom you will
serve: whether the Gods which your fathers served that were on the
other side of the flood, either the Gods of the Amorites in whose
land, ye dwelt, and I and my house will serve the Lord.
And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should
forsake the Lord and serve strange Gods. For the Lord our God he it
is that brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, the
house of bondage, and which did those miracles in our sight, and
preserved us in all the way we went and among all the nations which
we came through. And the Lord did cast out before us all the nations
with the Amorites which dwelt in the land, wherefore we will serve
the Lord for he is our God.
But Josua said unto the people, ye cannot serve the Lord: for
he is an holy God and cannot bear your transgression and sin. But
when ye have forsaken the Lord and have served strange Gods, he will
turn and do you evil and consume you, after that he hath done you
good. And the people answered Josua: nay, but we will serve the
Lord.
Then Josua said unto the folk, ye are witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him: and they
said we are witnesses. Then put away, said he, the strange Gods
which are among you, and bow your hearts unto the Lord God of
Israel. And the people answered Josua: the Lord our God we will
serve and his voice we will obey. And so Josua made a covenant with
the people the same day and set ordinances and laws before them in
Sichem.
And Josua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and
took a great stone and pitched it on end in the said place even
under an oak that stood in the sanctuary of the Lord. And Josua said
unto all the people: behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us
for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake with us.
It shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye lie unto your God.
And so Josua let the people depart every man unto his inheritance.
And after these things the time came that Josua the son of Nun
and the servant of the Lord died being an hundred and ten years old.
Whom they buried in the country of his inheritance, even in Thamnath
sareh which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of
Gaas.
And Israel served the Lord all the days of Josua, and all the
days of the elders that overlived Josua, and which had seen all the
works of the Lord that he had done to Israel. And the bones of
Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they
buried in Sichem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the
sons of Hemor the father of Sichem, for an hundred pieces of silver,
which parcel became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And
Eleazar the son of Aaron died whom they buried in Gabaath that
pertained to Phinehes his son and was given him in Mount Ephraim.
The end of the
book of Josua
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Chapters 1-7
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8-12 |
13-20 |
21-end
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